Three Arrested For Burglary of PK's Market
July 08, 2008
On July 1st 2008, The Wayne County Sheriff’s Department arrested and charged three men with the May 30th 2008, burglary of PK’s Market located on Highway 84 West of Beat Four. Deputy Charles Everett, Investigator Mike Mozingo and Chief Deputy Gerald Barnett responded to the initial early morning call. Officers identified and collected a great deal of physical evidence. There was an extensive amount of items reported taking from the store including frozen meats, tobacco products, a hand gun, and a checkbook. One of the checks taken during the burglary was cashed at a store in Laurel, Ms. Laurel Police Department Detective Michael Reeves identified the individual cashing the check as William B. Sykes from a security video at the store.
On July 1st 2008, Laurel Police Department Detectives Michael Reeves and Kevin Flynn and Patrolman Josh Welch stopped Sykes and Battaglia while traveling in an automobile. Investigators Mike Mozingo and Kevin Stevens traveled to the location with the owner of PK’s. Several items in the vehicle were identified as being stolen from PK’s Market. Laurel Police Department secured a search warrant for the residence on Old Amy Road and more property stolen from PK’s Market was recovered. “Packages of meat were in the freezer still bearing PK’s Market label”, said Investigator Mozingo. The investigation revealed that Joseph Frederick Battaglia and Marty Dearman initially broke into the store and took items then returned to Jones County. Batttaglia and Dearman returned to the store a second time that night with William B. Sykes and more items were stolen.
Battaglia and Dearman were charged with two counts of burglary of a commercial building and Sykes was charged with one count of burglary of a commercial building. Bond was set at $25,000 on each count and the case will be presented to the January 2009,Grand Jury. “The Laurel Police Department was very accommodating in this investigation.” said Investigators Mozingo and Stevens. “Detectives Flynn and Reeves went out of their way in helping us follow leads in their city.”